Pepe the Frog

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Pepe[Note 1] the Frog (emojified as 🐾 and formerly known as "Feels Good Man") is a green anthropomorphic frog used as an Internet meme. The character was created by artist Matt Furie in his comic Boy's Club.[1] In 2008, its popularity steadily grew across Myspace and Gaia Online,Wikipedia being popularized by 4chan in the same period.[2] By 2015, it had become one of the most popular memes on Tumblr, the residence of 4chan's current nemesis, the SJW.[3]

While originally without political associations, he became associated with the alt-right, white nationalism, and Donald Trump in 2015 (although it doesn't mean everyone who uses or likes the meme is a nationalist).[4] Hillary Clinton's campaign condemned both Trump and his son for posting images of Pepe on Twitter.[5]

The Anti-Defamation League has listed Pepe as a hate symbol, but noted that most instances of the character were not used in a hateful context.[6] Matt Furie tried getting his frog back,[7] but with little success. In May 2017, he killed off the character,[8] but Pepe could not be so easily and permanently slain, and has returned to us.[9] Furie later launched his #SavePepe campaign on Kickstarter and social media to fund a new Boy's Club issue and reclaim the character.[10] He has since taken legal action against various websites, as well as prominent alt-right figures such as Richard Spencer, Mike Cernovich and Baked Alaska, for appropriating Pepe.[11] In 2019, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones settled a copyright violation lawsuit with Furie after Jones used Pepe without permission on a promotional poster.[12]

Some claim that Pepe is the incarnation of the ancient Egyptian god Kek[Note 2] (also known as Kuk[Note 3] or Keku), and worship him as such as part of another 4chan in-joke called the "Cult of Kek",[13] which has been defined by the "experts" at Wikipedia as a parody religion.[14] The connection between Pepe and Kek has been endorsed by neoreactionary philosopher Nick Land[15] and by Davis Aurini.[16]

As a result of widespread DMCA take-downs instigated by Furie's attorneys in 2017 (including against The Daily Stormer),[17][18] the alt-right appears to have a newer fascist frog mascot named Groyper, who is derived from Pepe but is fatter and more grotesque in appearance.[19]

Re-cooptation[edit]

In 2019, Pepe was repurposed by the certain sections of the progressive, anti-authoritarian protests in Hong Kong as a symbol of their struggle to maintain the one country, two systems that had been agreed upon when Britain returned Hong Kong to China.[20] However, this was not supported by all protesters due to its prior association with the alt-right.[21]

Take a peep at these Pepes[edit]

Alt-right and pro-Trump Pepes[edit]

  • Border wall Pepe

  • Example meme portraying Pepe as the Egyptian god Kek

  • Concentration camp guard Pepe

Innocent Pepes[edit]

By Matt Furie[edit]

  • The original drawing of Pepe by Matt Furie

  • Pepe's Funeral by Matt Furie, 2017

By Hong Kong protesters (who have also adopted Pepe as a symbol of their cause)[edit]

  • Pepe in Hong Kong, 2019

  • Pepe in Hong Kong, 2019

Memes[edit]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ↑ For completeness, a pet form of the Spanish name JosĂ© ("Joseph")
  2. ↑ Chosen for being the name of a very old World of Warcraft meme
  3. ↑ Useful travel fact — the word "kuk" literally means "cock" in Swedish.

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Khan, Imad (April 12, 2015). "4chan's Pepe the Frog is bigger than ever—and his creator feels good, man". The Daily Dot. 
  2. ↑ Kiberd, Roisin (April 9, 2015). "4chan's Frog Meme Went Mainstream, So They Tried to Kill It". Motherboard. Vice Media. 
  3. ↑ Hathaway, Jay (December 9, 2015). "Tumblr's Biggest Meme of 2015 Was Pepe the Frog". New York Magazine. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  4. ↑ Olivia Nuzzi, How Pepe the Frog Became a Nazi Trump Supporter and Alt-Right Symbol, The Daily Beast, 26 May 2016
  5. ↑ Elizabeth Chan, Donald Trump, Pepe the frog, and white supremacists: an explainer, Hillary for America, September 12, 2016
  6. ↑ Anti-Defamation League, Pepe the Frog, Hate on Displayℱ HATE SYMBOLS DATABASE
  7. ↑ #SavePepe: Campaign aims to reclaim Internet frog from hate groups CNN, 18 October 2016.
  8. ↑ Pepe the Frog creator kills off internet meme co-opted by white supremacists
  9. ↑ Pepe the frog rises from the dead, creator says
  10. ↑ Pepe the Frog's creator can't save him from the alt-right, but he keeps trying anyway
  11. ↑ Pepe the Frog’s Creator Goes Legally Nuclear Against the Alt-Right
  12. ↑ Scott Newman, Alex Jones To Pay $15,000 In Pepe The Frog Copyright Infringement Case. NPR, 11 June 2019.
  13. ↑ Cult of Kek, Know Your Meme
  14. ↑ See the Wikipedia article on Parody religion. Archive.
  15. ↑ Kek, xenosystems.net.
  16. ↑ Pepe, Kek, and the Rise of an Elder God
  17. ↑ To save Pepe the Frog from the alt-right, his creator has invoked copyright law’s darker side: Matt Furie has issued DMCA takedowns against alt-right websites using Pepe’s likeness. The fair use implications are troubling by Aja Romano (Sep 21, 2017, 11:40am EDT ) Vox.
  18. ↑ Neo-Nazi Site Daily Stormer Takes Down Pepe Images After Getting Copyright Claims From Its Creator: The Daily Stormer has removed all images and references of the famously chill frog after getting DMCA notices from Matt Furie. by Matthew Gault (Jul 10 2018, 7:24am) Vice.
  19. ↑ The Far Right's New Toad Mascot Is a Fatter, More Racist Pepe the Frog by Aaron Mak (Dec. 4 2017 5:48 PM) Slate.
  20. ↑ Pepe the Frog Means Something Different in Hong Kong—Right? Pepe is popping up all over Hong Kong—on walls, in forums, in sticker packs for apps—as a symbol of resistance against an authoritarian state. by Emma Grey Ellis (08.23.2019 03:22 PM) Wired (archived from December 2, 2019).
  21. ↑ Facing down the Hong Kong protests’ right-wing turn Zoe Zhao. Lausan, March 28, 2020.
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